Among the various games of chance available in many jurisdictions is a game referred to as “pull tab.” The traditional pull tab game is played with a large number of physical tickets or cards manufactured before the start of the game. Each pull tab ticket is printed with several symbols or indicia arranged in some identifiable pattern. The printed indicia are initially covered or obscured by some material such as a removable paper sheet or tab, or a scratch off material. The pattern of indicia printed on the cards is correlated to an outcome in the game and the pull tab tickets themselves represent game play records. Some of the pull tab tickets in a given pull tab game are printed with a pattern of indicia that correlates to some prize or winning outcome whereas some tickets are printed with a pattern of indicia correlating to no prize. In order to participate in the game, players purchase the preprinted pull tab tickets at a gaming establishment, remove the ticket cover material, and then read the uncovered indica pattern to determine if the ticket wins in a prize. Winning tickets may be redeemed at the gaming establishment.
Although traditional pull tab is a popular game, the game is played fairly slowly. Each pull tab ticket representing a single chance in the game must be purchased and the player must physically remove the cover material to determine if the respective ticket is a winning ticket. Also, traditional pull tab is limited in that the results of a chance in the game are displayed only through the indicia printed on the pull tab ticket. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,980,385 and 5,941,771, for example, show electronic pull tab systems that attempt to overcome some of the problems associated with traditional pull tab games. These electronic pull tab gaming systems provide an electronic display for displaying results which are also printed on the pull tab ticket. Although these electronic pull tab gaming systems may show the results of a purchased pull tab ticket in a more animated and thus more interesting and exciting manner than is possible using a physical ticket alone, these prior systems are still limited as to the rate at which the game may be played.